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About Portland observer. (Portland, Or.) 1970-current | View Entire Issue (July 28, 2010)
July 28. 2010 ff*'* jllortknii» Ofrhseruer Page 7 O pinion Concerning Shirley Sherrod told the truth by C . N icole M ason The tro u b le w ith S hirley Sherrod is that she told the truth. In a small town speech before an even smaller NAACP chap ter, she grappled publicly with the discomfort o f what happens when power and decisions that can impact the lives o f ordinary Americans are in the hands o f individuals who have tradition ally been shut o ff from power or not had access to resources. In many ways, it is the struggle that Barack Obama has been con fronting since he took office. In our efforts to move past race, we have run right smack into it. There is no doubt about it. Despite our hopes, O bam a’s election has had exactly the op posite effect on race relations in the U.S. Rather than moving us toward a post-racial society, it has made us hyper vigilant about how race and power intersect in American society. A few days ago, Shirley’s email box was filled with hate m essages. Today, it is over w h e lm e d w ith a p o lo g ie s. T here’s a huge elephant in the room. W hile I think Ms. Sherrod deserves an apology, I think the biggest apology we owe is to ourselves for trying over the last couple o f years to sweep the issues o f race and racism under the rug. Today, we know more about how blacks and racial and ethnic minorities feel about race than any other time in the history o f the country. And because there are more blacks and racial and ethnic minorities in positions o f power, there is more scrutiny for now what is being called reverse racism. In her position as the USDA Director o f Rural Development for Georgia, Shirley Sherrod was in a unique position, both as an A frican A m erican and as a woman, in terms o f her ability to dole out much needed resources to farmers. Years ago, when Sherrod visited the white farmer, perhaps, for the first time in his life, his livelihood and the sur vival o f his farm was dependent on the decision o f an African American. This is a position that racial and ethnic minorities find themselves in all o f the time. However, it is not a position that many whites find themselves in very often. Multiple Apologies in Order Time to examine the path to justice by M elanie L. C ampbell We've come a long way in America as it pertains to race relations. However, when an up standing woman that has excelled throughout her long career is forced to resign before the facts are revealed, in an effort to be politically correct; it's time to ex amine where our journey to jus tice and equality has led us. Taking into account the fact that her father was murdered by the Ku Klux Kian, Ms. Shirley Sherrod's story o f her own per sonal growth and racial transfor mation epitomizes the change many of us hope for in America and have worked for over the years. Sherrod was the former Geor gia state director for rural devel opment at the U.S. Department o f Agriculture who was forced to resign when a right-wing blogger unjustly accused her of discrimi nation by taking her words out of context. The story was picked up by Fox News and other media outlets. As an A fric an A m erican woman in leadership, I have to wonder if a man would have been humiliated and asked to pull over to the side o f the road to text a resignation without the opportunity to tell his side o f the story. The National Coalition on Black Civic Participation calls on the USDA to make every effort to right this egregious wrong by offering Ms. Sherrod her job back, and making her feel secure that she will suffer no further reper cussions due to their rush to judg- flnrtlanb (Dhsmier Established 1970 USPS 959-680 ____________ __________________ __ - _ 4 7 4 7 N E M a d in h jtf^ Blvd., Portland, OR 97211 . E ditor - in -C hief , P ublisher : Charles H. Washington E d it o r : M ich a el L eig h to n D is tr ib u tio n M anager : M ark W ashington C reative D irector : P a u l N e u fe ld t W eb E ditor : Jake Thomas . P ostmaster : Send address changes to Portland Observer, PO Box3 1 3 7 , Portland, OR9 7 2 0 8 newsfàportlandobserver, com adsCaportlandobserver. com CALL 503-288-0033 ment. Ms. Sherrod deserves an apol ogy from USDA, the media, and every individual and organization that reported the story or publicly admonished her without a thor ough investigation o f the facts. A fast food worker would have re ceived more respect and due dili gence. The lesson here is that if we strive to be legally and morally correct rather than politically cor rect, and take the time to be right instead o f first, we will not taint the reputation o f a reputable woman based on comments taken out o f context with the intent to incite racial discord. Melanie L. Campbell is presi dent and chief executive officer o f the National Coalition on Black Civic Participation. The Portland Observer welcom es freelance submissions. Manuscripts and photographs should be clearly labeled and will be returned if accompanied by a self addressed Historically, the USDA has been fraught with allegations o f discrimination against racial and ethnic minority farmers. In fact, they have settled over $2 billion in lawsuits alleging bias in loan approval rates and the lack o f diversity on county committees responsible fo r adm inistering USDA programs. In 1920, one in every seven farms was owned by African Americans. Today, it is only 1 in 100. Just because we do n ’t ad dress race or the historical im pact o f racism on communities and individuals does not mean it no longer exists. What it does mean is that we will have a difficult time moving the country towards a more just and equal society. ’S u b s c r i b e I ° 1 U C jy z /5 f ] (please include check) p er year I N ame : _________ Do I need a counselor? Internal coping skills can get us through a crisis o r change; however, we m ay n o t have the resources to overcome in the moat effective way. Deciding i f counseling is right for you can be a tough dedaion. It m ay initially feel like adm itting failure. Actually choosing counseling can be the key to making you an d your family's dreams a reality. Counseling is like adding toola to your toolbox. We can help you find better waya to overcome life's problems. Service» include« Counseling Center Design and Development Finding Solutions to Life’s Problems Substance Abuse Education • Stress Management Grief Counseling Phobias Post Traumatic Stress Disorder Healing from Past Hurts H odge C om prehensive Counseling S ervice Providing cognitive behavioral services from a Biblical perspective w ith sound psychological principles. LIFe Change Specialist Licensed Pastoral Counselor Professional Trainer Over 20years of addressing Life Streaaori Oregon’s Oldest Multicultural Publication-is a member o f the National Newspaper Association-Founded in 1885, and The National Advertising Representative Amalgam ated Publishers, Inc, New York, NY, and The West Coast Black Publishers Association D r. H . L . H odge, P h . D . Portland Congress Center 1001 SW Fifth Ave. Ste 1100 Portland, OR. 97204 (S03) 220-1790 I -b y Appointment O nly- F A X 503-288- 0015 I I ^ S u b s c r ip tio n s ,T h e j Portland Observer, PO Box | 3137, Portland OR 97208. I We all have life stressors, especially in today's complex world. Balancing your home, work, a n d spiritual life can be overwhelming. • • • f * I i 5°3-288-oo33 I T elephone : I I A ddress : I I or email subscriptions@portlandobserver.com envelope. All created design display ads become the sole property o f the newspaper and cannot be used in other publications or personal usage without the written consent o f the general manager, unless the client has purchased the composition o f such ad © 2008 THE PORTLAND OBSERVER. ALL RIGHTS RESERVED, REPRODUC TION IN WHOLE OR IN PART WITHOUT PERMIS SIO N IS P R O H IBITE D . The Portland O b server-- subscript ion(ai,portlandobserver. com Power is shifting in the U.S. The proverbial table is expand ing and the halls o f pow er are extending to groups who have been historically left out. Anti immigration policies like the Ari zona law and call o f reverse racism from the Tea Party are attempts to maintain the historic flow o f power and resources. The lesson here is that to get to a post-racial society, we have to do the w ork as indi viduals, as com m unities and as a nation. A nd my friends, we are not there yet. Dr. C. Nicole M ason is the e x e c u tiv e d ir e c to r o f th e Women o f Color P olicy N et work at the Wagner School o f P ublic Service a t N ew York University. hodgehsplts@msn.com hodgecounsellng.com I I I I I |
